Combined nest and brooder.



W. H. PARKER.

COMBINED NEST AND BROODER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, 1909.

962,459,, Patented June 28, 1910.

J9 -Z]\v /J4 J0 WILLIAM HENDRIX PARKER, OF NORTH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

COMBINED NEST AND BROODER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 28, 1910.

Application filed. April 30, 1909. Serial No. 493,195.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENDRIX PARKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Combined Nest and Brooder, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of the invention to provide a nest which may be also used as a brooder and which may be readily cleaned and will effectually shelter the fowls within the box whether the same is in use as a nest or as a brooder.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this class having a bodily removable closure or door and a hinged side whereby access may be readily had to the interior of the box for the purpose of cleaning the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding the closure for the box open and in position to extend above the doorway of the box whereby to shelter a fowl within the box.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken from front to rear through a combined nest and brooder constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing in full lines theclosure in raised position, and in dotted lines the closure when lowered. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view showing the manner of hingedly mounting the closure upon the box so that it may be removed therefrom.

In the drawings, the device is shown as in the nature of a box, the side walls of which are indicated by the numeral 5, the front wall by the numeral 6, the bottom by the numeral 7, and the rear wall by the numeral 8, the top or roof of the box being comprised of a fixed inclined section 9 and a hinged closure 10. There are secured, upon the sides 5 of the box, supporting legs or standards 11 which project below the floor of the box and consequently support the box bodily above the ground.

The front wall 6 of the nest and brooder, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, is hinged at its lower edge as at 12 to the forward edge of the floor 7 of the box and in such manner as to permit of its being swung downwardly forwardly to the position shown in dotted lines in the said Fig. 1,

in which position it affords an inclined en trance way into the box, whereby to permit the small chickens to enter the box without trouble or any great effort. Normally, the said wall 6 of the box is held in upright position by a pin 13 which is inserted through one side wall 5 of the box and into a socket or seat in the corresponding edge of the front wall 6. The said front wall is of course held in upright position while the box is being used solely as a nest and in-as-much as this wall is not of considerable height, entrance of a fowl into the box when the wall is in upright position may be had without any considerable efiort.

As heretofore stated, the roof section 9 is rigid and is inclined downwardly from a cleat 14: which extends transversely of the box from one side wall to the other and substantially in a plane midway between the front and rear walls 6 and 8 respectively of the box and projecting laterally from the sides of the box immediately below this cleat 1 1 at each end thereof, is a pin 15 the function of which will now be made apparent. The closure 10 forming the other section of the roof of the box is provided at each side with a cleat 16. These cleats 16 at the sides of the closure 10 are so spaced as to fit down upon each side wall 5 when the closure is in lowered or closed position, in which position it is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and secured upon each cleat is a spring tongue 17 formed with an opening 18 which receives one of the hinge pins 15, it being understood that these tongues are to be snapped into engagement with the said ins whereby to hingedly connect the closure with the box. In addition to the cleats 16, there is provided a transverse cleat 19 located at the upper or rear edge of the body of the closure, and extending at an angle with respect thereto as is clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and upon the fixed roof section 9 of the box there is swiveled a detent 20 which is notched as at 21 to engage with the said cleat 19 when the closure is raised to substantially horizontal position or in other words substantially into the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. When the closure is in the position just described, it will, as will be readily apparent, effectually act as a shelter for the interior of the box and at the same time admit o ventilation and when the box is in use as a brooder,the front wall 6 may be let down as well as the closure 10, both to dotted lineposition in Fig. 1, and the small chickens within the box will then be fully protected from the elements. It willbe understood in connection with the former description that by removably hingedly connecting the closure with the box and so mounting the front wall 6 of the box that it may be swung down, ready access may be had to the box for the purpose of cleaning the same.

The cleats 16 do not terminate at the rear edge of the closure 10 but extend considerably therebeyond whereby to afiord hand bars 22 which may be grasped for the purpose of swinging the closure to full line position. Also, the side walls 5 of the box are formed with openings 23 which are covered each with a sheet of wire mesh material or the like indicated by the numeral 24, it being understood that perfect ventilation of the box is in this manner provided for.

l/Vhat is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a box having an open inclined side, a door movable into and hingedly connected to the box serving as a closure for one side of the box, the door being capable of being swung down to afford an inclined entrance into the box, a closure for the open inclined side of the box, cleats upon the under side of the closure, a cleat connecting the first mentioned cleats and lying at an angle with respect to the closure, and means upon the top of-the box engaging with the last mentioned cleat to hold the closure in substantially horizontal position above the opening which it is intended to close.

2. In a device of the class described, a box having an open inclined side, a door, cleats secured upon the under side of the door and lying one to each side of the box, each of said cleats being formed with a notch in its under edge, lateral studs at the upper edge of the box, and resilient tongues secured one upon each cleat and each covering the notch of the respective cleat, the notches being designed to receive said studs, and the tongues being formed each with an opening to receive the corresponding stud.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. V

WILLIAM HENDRIX PARKER.

WVitnesses:

T. M. DENSMORE, J. W. GATE. 

